"Hmmm is anyone here a more skilled healer than myself?" Rendel says as he kneels by the bodies. "I do not recall the townsfolk speaking of the dead rising in little more than whispers and ghost stories. This seems a bit more solid than I would have anticipated."

"Night will make it difficult." Rendel concedes. "But we msut press on. It would be dark within anyway and the veil of night would prevent less scrupulous eyes from prying on us. We have not yet even entered the prison. In our faith it is expected of us to bring light into dark places."

Seeing that Madeline and Vaughn are taken care of Rendel retrieves the contents of the box and checks his own funds. Perhaps it would be enough. He knew he'd have to trade in his crossbow at some point if arrows were going to insist on coming into their possession. Turning to Creel he says. "I've about 12 gold on me. Not sure how that will help us. You?"

"First, we need to retrieve the contents of the box and figure out its fate. Second we need plenty of oil and torches. I must say I did not expect them to deploy such guardians. Quite clever in a way."

"I think that if you wish to drag sir creel over for a sound thrashing you could at least do him the honor of doing it face to face." Rendel says as he kneels down to look at the squashed beetle in an attempt to identify it and why Madeline was so eager to end its life and nearly behead Creel to do it.

"I say we move on and understand the purpose behind this." Rendel says. "Why attempt to ensnare a single spirit where likely dozens are haunting? What is special about the warden? I think such secrets can only be discerned within."

"It's the bad memories." Happens in such haunted places. It can get much worse." Rendel says. "My father told me of a house he managed to get locked into that set a friend of his on fire, threw him around the room, and attempted to defenestrate one of their number. I seem to recall they burned it to the ground after several priests of Pharasma had their way with it."

Madeline frowns....(Knowledge Engineering: Take ten =16) and her lips purse in a 'mue'.

"If...that is...as you say..." Her eyes trace across the line of the wall taking note of the edges and the lay of the masonry about the gap. "Then...why aren't there more stones scattered farther away?' She peers about, outwards towards the (Possibly) nearby treeline.

"Do you really think such good working stone would be left lying about with the town nearby? However I am willing to admit it's a sinkhole that has appeared. It would make sense of the fire weakened any foundations under the prison."

Rendel doesn't need tos tudy it carefully to guess what happened to the wall. "It appears someone used a rather powerful explosive on the wall." He says. "This is inline with the prison break we've researched. Though I can't help but wonder about what kind of magic was used that was strong enough to shatter this wall and yet simple enough to be smuggled inside a prison?"

Rendel will not. Being raised inside what is essentially a religious military base his entire life gives him the feeling that a church to a neutral god wouldn't have the requisite combat drills, hymns with swords raised, and that old timey religion.

Still here. Just quite at a loss what to do at this point. Seems nothing left to do except go to harrowstone. I have a few ideas but I've lots fo things going on which preclude me from taking a lead in any games im not currently running.

"Well Grimburrow asked us to come back today, I think we ought to start there. I still don't quite get why all that kit was just sittin' out in the open in that tomb like that, someone else had been there already, so why just leave it?"

"The professor merely took what he needed." Rendel said. "It was left their with the purpose of aiding others against the undead. In a land like this I would not be surprised if the church of Iomedae, Pharasma, or even Sarenrae did not have hundreds of such cache's hidden throughout in a worst case scenario. Tharnik is still sleeping off last nights misadventures. Perhaps someone should bring him down some food?"

Rendel ponders his options. If Tharnik starts to make a commotion the sheriff would hear. But Tharnik is not in the best of health right now. For now he decides to leave the half orc be. "Take care, Tharnik. The full moon is two days left. By then you should be yourself once more. I will see what we can do to get you food and water. I believe the professor's are working on a cure for your ailment."

Turning on a light Rendel tries to ascertain the condition of Tharnik without touching him getting close enough to observe but not close enough to get within biting reach. Quietly closiing the door behind him he quietly inquires. "Tharnik? Are you yourself?"

"If I were the farmer. I'd be glad it was the sheep and not me." Rendel says calmly taking another sip. "Well you are standing in a room full of people who tend to know what they're talking about when it comes to "ritual markings" so feel free to describe them. Though I sincerely doubt anyone here will like what you describe."

"Aiding the professor." Rendel says without hesitation indicating the blurry eyed stumbling Vaughn as he takes a seat at the table. "He was following up on some research of Kaendra's father and we made sure nothing untoward happened to the man as he stumbled around in the dark trying to study the monument. We found it vandalized by a single individual though we don't know who."

Taking a vitalizing sip from his tea he continues. "Afterwards we heard wolf howls coming from the inn. Already wary of the wolf attacks from before we went to investigate and found nothing save some figure escaping into the dark. Beyond that there's nothing else to say."

"I like that idea even less." Rendel says as he draws his blade and lights it with a blessing. "Sneaking through the rear is what robbers and murderers do. If we survive this we most definitely need to make use of that boxes contents." Rendel waves his sword in the egneral direction that Dortlin disappeared to.

Rendel keeps his eyes wary and his hand on his sword. "We need to rethink ourselves here. How does it look for four armed men to walk into a closed tavern that may or may not be filled with bodies. Aside from that it's dark and our enemy is not bothered by it...fighting out here is suicide."